Most powerful electric eel species discovered by scientists

Scientists have identified two new species of electric eel and one of them is the most powerful yet.

Electrophorus Voltai lives in the Amazon rainforest and can produce up to 860 volts of electricity. That's considerably more than the previously most juiced-up eel, which tops out at 650 volts.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of National History says the two new eel species triple the known number.

It was previously thought that all electric eels belonged to the same species.

One researcher points out these fish can get up to eight feet long and if it took 250 years to find something so obvious, that probably means there are plenty of animals left to discover in the Amazon.

There are currently over 200 species of fish that can generate electricity, but most of them use it for things like navigation and communication. Only electric eels use it to hunt and for self-defense.